But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword"; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

21

How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; Righteousness lodged in it, But now murderers.

22

Your silver has become dross, Your wine mixed with water.

23

Your princes are rebellious, And companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, And follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, Nor does the cause of the widow come before them.

24

Therefore the Lord says, The LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, "Ah, I will rid Myself of My adversaries, And take vengeance on My enemies.

25

I will turn My hand against you, And thoroughly purge away your dross, And take away all your alloy.

26

I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city."

27

Zion shall be redeemed with justice, And her penitents with righteousness.

28

The destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together, And those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

29

For they shall be ashamed of the terebinth trees Which you have desired; And you shall be embarrassed because of the gardens Which you have chosen.

30

For you shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fades, And as a garden that has no water.

31

The strong shall be as tinder, And the work of it as a spark; Both will burn together, And no one shall quench them.

Chapter 2

1

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD's house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.

3

Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Zechariah 8 : 7 - 13

Chapter 8

7

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east And from the land of the west;

8

I will bring them back, And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people And I will be their God, In truth and righteousness.'

9

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Let your hands be strong, You who have been hearing in these days These words by the mouth of the prophets, Who spoke in the day the foundation was laid For the house of the LORD of hosts, That the temple might be built.

10

For before these days There were no wages for man nor any hire for beast; There was no peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in; For I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor.

11

But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,' says the LORD of hosts.

12

"For the seed shall be prosperous, The vine shall give its fruit, The ground shall give her increase, And the heavens shall give their dew--I will cause the remnant of this people To possess all these.

13

And it shall come to pass That just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, Let your hands be strong.'

From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.May his blessings be with us all.

Psalms 23 : 1,3

Chapter 23

1

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

3

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Our Lord God, Savior, and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God to whom be glory forever.Amen.

Matins Gospel

Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint Matthew the Evangelist.May His Blessings be with us all.

Matthew 9 : 10 - 15

Chapter 9

10

Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.

11

And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

12

When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

13

But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

14

Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?"

15

And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

A Reading from Epistle 1 of St. Peter .May his blessing be upon us.Amen.

1 Peter 4 : 3 - 11

Chapter 4

3

For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles--when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.

4

In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.

5

They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

6

For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

7

But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.

8

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins."

9

Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

10

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

11

If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. The world passes away, and its desires; but he who does the will of God abides forever.Amen.

Day 6 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Amshir, may God make it always received, year after year, with reassurance and tranquility, while our sins after forgiven by the tender mercies of our God my fathers and brothers.Amen.

The Sixth Day of the Blessed Month of Amshir

Appearance of the Body of St.Apolidus,
the Pope of Rome

On this day the church celebrates
the appearance of the body of St. Apolidus, Pope of Rome. He was a virtuous
and a perfect man in his generation. He was chosen to the Roman See after
Father Augius. This was in the first year of the enthronement of Abba Cladianus,
9th Pope of Alexandria. Pope Apolidus was always teaching his people and
guarding them from the pagan influences, confirming them in the faith of
the Lord Christ. When reports of St. Apolidus reached the infidel Emperor
Claudius Caesar, he arrested him and tortured him severely. The Emperor
then tied his feet with a heavy stone, and cast him in the sea on the 5th
day of Amshir. On the following day, one of the faithful found the body
of the saint floating above the water, and the stone was bound to his feet.
The man took it to his home and shrouded the body. The news spread in the
City of Rome and in all the neighboring cities, and it reached Caesar,
who asked for the body, but the man hid it. This father left a great wealth
of teachings about the Incarnation, and several sermons about Christian
teaching. He also established 38 bylaws.

May His prayers be with us all. Amen.

Martyrdom of the Saints Abakir, John,
the Three Virgins and Their Mother

On this day also, the saints
Abakir; John; the three virgins, Theodora (which means the gift of God),
Theopisti "Theophana" (which means the faithfulness of God), and Theodosia
(which means the glory of God); and their mother, Athanasia (which means
the immortal), were martyred. St.Abakir was a monk since his young age,
and St. John was a soldier in the private guards of the Emperor. They left
Alexandria, their own home town, and lived in Antioch. When Diocletian
incited the persecution against the Christians, they confessed their faith
in the Lord Christ along with the virgins and their mother. When the Emperor
knew that they were from Alexandria, he returned them to the governor of
Alexandria. When they came to Alexandria, and were brought before the Governor,
they confessed their faith in the Lord Christ. He ordered them beheaded.
St. Athanasia was comforting and confirming her daughters and telling them
that if they were martyred, they would become the brides of Christ. The
virgins were beheaded first, then their mother, then St. Abakir and St.
John. Their bodies were cast to the wild beasts and to the birds of the
sky. However, some believers came and took their bodies by night and they
placed them in a coffin and hid them until the end of the time of persecution.

Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.
A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint John the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet, and the Good King.May his blessings be with us all.

Psalms 25 : 16 - 17

Chapter 25

16

Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted.

17

The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses!

Hallelujah.

Divine Gospel

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.Our Lord God, Savior, and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God to whom be glory forever.Amen.

Luke 12 : 41 - 50

Chapter 12

41

Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?"

42

And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?

43

Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

44

Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.

45

But if that servant says in his heart, "My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk,

46

the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

47

And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

48

But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

49

"I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!

50

But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!